The Shadow of Great Britain

Disraeli threw out a card: ”Sneaking back to London? That’s not right! Charles, didn’t you just come back these past few days?”

”I didn’t just come back these past few days. I came to London last November.” Darwin didn’t bother to hide it: ”I moved to London on my own for a while without telling any relatives or friends. During the day I just did some light organizing, and in the evenings I’d go for walks or do nothing at all. The doctor said it would be good for me, and now it seems he was probably right.”

Eld immediately slapped the cards in his hand onto the table, deliberately putting on a look of ”having suffered a great insult.”

”Well, Charles!” Eld accused dramatically, ”So you were hiding out in London since last November, pretending to be resting quietly in the countryside and didn’t even send us a word? You, staying in London all by yourself, and not even willing to come out for a drink with me?”

Darwin wasn’t intimidated by Director Carter, and he gathered his cards: ”This is exactly what I’ve been worried about. The doctor told me to come to London to avoid stress, not to change one form of overwork for another.”

Disraeli smirked: ”Well, now that you’ve rested, can you spend some good quality time with us for a while?”

Darwin smiled wryly: ”If Professor William Huxell hadn’t come looking for me, that was indeed my plan.”

Eld nonchalantly added, ”What’s that guy’s deal?”

”You don’t know Professor Huxell? What kind of director are you?” Darwin rolled his eyes at him: ”The Navy Tide Table the Royal Navy is currently using was drafted by him. Eld, please don’t tell me the Hydrographic Office doesn’t know about the tidal observation project initiated by the Navy Department.”

”Oh, that one!” Eld laughed awkwardly: ”Of course I know, the Hydrographic Office is also tasked with data analysis for that. If I’m not mistaken, the tidal observation project is about to launch its third international cooperative observation, right? I remember this time besides our local coastguard stations, they’ve also united with the United States, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and a bunch of other countries... Anyway, let’s not discuss that now. Did Huxell come to ask you to join them?”

”Not really, he knows I’m already bogged down with the Treasury-funded Beagle’s Voyage Animal Record, so he didn’t drag me into the tidal observation project.” Darwin sighed: ”He came mainly to ask if I would take on the position of Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society.”

”Isn’t that a great opportunity?” Disraeli, struggling to make his mark in the Cabinet, blurted out: ”You must understand something, Charles. Once you become the Secretary of the Geographical Society, from an outsider’s perspective, you will no longer be just a promising young scholar.”

Dickens nodded in agreement: ”But a figure who has truly come into his own.”

”Exactly.” Eld cheerfully put his arm around Darwin’s shoulder: ”The biggest issue with being a young scholar is that everyone will praise your potential, but no one actually puts power in your hands. But it’s different for the Secretary of the Geographical Society; that’s a position where you sign things, nod in agreement, and are invited out to dinners every day.”

Disraeli enthusiastically analyzed for Darwin: ”From a social prestige standpoint, Eld’s not exaggerating at all. The Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society means you become the one arranging the agenda instead of being arranged by it.”

Darwin spread his hands helplessly: ”Please, it’s just a society secretary position, but listening to you guys, it sounds like I’m entering the Cabinet or something.”

Disraeli earnestly replied: ”You wouldn’t be entirely wrong. The secretary positions in scientific professional associations are actually not much different from the Vice Ministers in politics. One decides the order of topics, and the other decides the direction of discussions. The only difference is, in your field, papers pave the way, in ours, it’s legislation that opens the road.”

Arthur, who had been eavesdropping for quite a while, finally chimed in: ”Moreover, in practical terms, the position of Secretary of the Royal Geographical Society will also make it easier for you to negotiate with the Treasury and the Navy Department.”

”Arthur, when did you get here?” Darwin looked up in surprise, but soon gave a wry smile: ”It’s not like I don’t understand what you’re saying, but it’s exactly what I’m hesitating about.”

Dickens asked: ”What do you mean?”

”What I’m worried about is...” Darwin agonizingly tugged his hair: ”Once I take on this position, I fear I’ll have to spend a lot of time dealing with administrative tasks, coordinating personnel, and dealing with various meetings... From then on, I probably won’t have much time to sit quietly and do research. And besides, I still have so much work piled up... The Treasury allocated 1,000 pounds in funding for Beagle’s Voyage Animal Record, and if I can’t meet the deadline this March...”

Seeing Darwin on the verge of making great progress, Arthur, who was deeply concerned about his friend’s future, was willing to go to any lengths: ”If you’re worried about having too much on your plate right now, the matters at Imperial Publishing can be put off for the time being. As for the Treasury-funded project... While I wouldn’t say I’m friends with Assistant Secretary Alexander Spearman at the Treasury, I can at least speak to him. From what I know of White Hall, projects like Beagle’s Voyage Animal Record being delayed for another six months to a year is actually quite reasonable.”

”Really?” Darwin leaped up from his chair in excitement: ”My God! If that’s the case, I could at least carve out a block of time to systematically organize the notes from the voyage and put those scattered observations together to look at the species...”

Darwin’s voice suddenly halted.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on him: ”Look at what about the species?”